Devo guitarist Bob Casale has died

Guitarist Bob Casale, one of the original members of the US new wave band Devo, has died. The cause of death was heart failure.

Devo at BofA Pavilion, Boston

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Devo are an American rock band formed in 1972 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The band had a No. 14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It," and they have maintained a cult following throughout their existence. The act charted two more singles: "Working In the Coal Mine" (No. 43 in 1981) and "Theme from 'Doctor Detroit'" (No. 59 in 1983). The album that contained "Whip It," 1980's Freedom of Choice, was the group's highest-charting effort, where it reached hit No. 22 and spent 51 weeks on the U.S. charts.

The band's style has shifted between punk, art rock, post-punk and new wave. The group's music and stage show mingle kitsch science fiction themes, surrealist humor, and satirical social commentary.

According to Billboard, the band have lost one of their original members. Bob Casale, a founding member of New Wave pioneers Devo, died at the age of 61 on Monday (Feb. 17).

Commenting on Casale's passing, the band said in a statement: "We are shocked and saddened by Bob Casale’s passing. He not only was integral in DEVO’s sound, he worked over twenty years at Mutato, collaborating with me on sixty or seventy films and television shows, not to mention countless commercials and many video games. Bob was instrumental in creating the sound of projects as varied as Rugrats and Wes Anderson’s films. He was a great friend. I will miss him greatly."

According to the Daily Mail, the loss of Casale has given the music world more reason to mourn following the loss of Devo drummer Alan Myers, who died of brain cancer in June aged 58.